


Your Devout Shield

by daisyisawriter91



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, M/M, Reader-Insert, Romantic Fluff, male reader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:48:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23773339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisyisawriter91/pseuds/daisyisawriter91
Summary: You slipped up, and made Ferdinand incredibly distraught. Your shield failed you...
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir/Reader
Kudos: 42





	Your Devout Shield

**Author's Note:**

> This was a commission asked for on my tumblr, @thesnowflakeemporium! Commissions are currently open and are until otherwise stated!

When you opened your eyes, you could immediately tell what had happened - you slipped up.

The pale light of day shone in through the still cracked infirmary windows. You’d heard Manuela ranting to a patient Marianne that they needed to be replaced some time ago. How long ago it was, you couldn’t quite say.  
Everything was unbearably fuzzy. You couldn’t tell if it was dawn or dusk, the pain in your skull threatened to break out, and you could feel burning still in your stomach.

_Oh._

What had happened after was a blur, but you could certainly recall getting stabbed through the middle by a wicked looking sword.  
Almost immediately afterwards, you blacked out from the pain, though if you had actually gone down, you weren’t sure. Judging by the extra bandages around your exposed arms, you hadn’t gone down without a fight.

As you attempted to cut through the cloud in your memory, one thing rung out through the darkness. Ferdinand’s voice, screaming your name. Like a desperate plea, as if he could single handedly change what was happening before his eyes.  
It was just like him. Thinking if he willed something into existence hard enough, it would be as he desired. But it seemed even his immeasurable will could not prevent what had happened to you.

_Ferdinand._

Your heart pounded hard against your ribs as you surveyed the beds around you. None were occupied. It seemed you were the most grievously injured.  
But Ferdinand…  
You couldn’t bear to think along those lines. If you were alive, that meant Ferdinand had assured it. He wouldn’t be foolish enough to die in your place, this you knew to be true.

And sure enough, you could hear a quick stride stomping down the hall. You’d only heard that pattern of footsteps a few times, during happier days.

You tried not to lose yourself in the fond memory of Ferdinand following an evasive Felix through the halls, giving him some sort of lecture you’d only caught parts of. But your efforts were in vain, to the point you nearly missed it when Ferdinand appeared in the doorway.

He looked a wreck, so different from the image of nobility he often presented. Dark circles had appeared under his eyes, darker than even you had ever seen them.  
His hair was pulled up into a messy bun, likely not even done by himself. Strands of bright orange hair were falling out, some into his puffy eyes.  
His armor was shed in favor of commoner’s clothes, and a shirt you recognized as your own. It appeared a bit tight on him, but if he cared, he didn’t show it.  
Instead, his sunset toned eyes were focused on you, a mix of desperation, relief, hope, and pure, heartbreaking love brewing together.

“My love,” he breathed, barely audible. He rushed into the room before you could get a single word out.

Carefully, as though he thought you would break with a misplaced breath, his hand ghosted above your cheek. His gloves were gone, allowing his calloused fingers to meet your skin.  
“Ferdie…” You mumbled, not quite sure what tone to take. Seeing him so distraught, so broken...even for you, who had seen him more vulnerable than anyone in the army, it was heartbreaking.

The sound of your voice seemed enough to completely destroy him. With a choked sob, he pulled you to his chest, squeezing you with all his might.  
You didn’t exactly want to show how he jostled your wound, but the hiss you let out was quite audible. 

Ferdinand pulled back as though burned, shame heavy on his features. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” He rushed out, tripping over his own words.  
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” your tone was barely convincing to your own ears, pained and rather forced. You took a shuddering breath to steady yourself. The sharp pang faded, settling back into the rhythm of a dull ache. “I’m fine, Ferdie, I promise.”  
“But you very nearly weren’t,” his voice trembled.

Gingerly, he sat beside you on the bed, gently tangling his fingers in yours. His gaze was transfixed on his own actions. He wouldn’t meet your eyes.  
“Why did you do that? I would have been fine, but you...protected me.” His eyes were burning with anger. But you knew him well enough to know it wasn’t at you. It was at himself.   
“I told you I would protect you. You would have done the same for me in a heartbeat.”  
“I almost lost you, my love. That is the closest I have ever…” He cut himself off, biting his lip. His eyes had begun to turn red.

You reached out, pushing a loose strand of hair behind his ear. You cupped his cheek in your hand, allowing yourself to relish at the way he leaned into your touch. His eyes finally met yours. You could finally see the full force of the tears brimming in his eyes.

“Sorry, Ferdie, you’re stuck with me.” You flashed him the best smile you could muster. He returned it, shakily. The truth of it was debatable, but you would accept it for the time being.  
“It will never be ‘stuck’, my dearest.” He moved his free hand to grasp yours, moving your hand from his cheek to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to your knuckles.   
He dropped your joined hands to his lap, rubbing a circle on the back of your hand with his thumb. “It is good to see you warm, again. You were so cold…”

You couldn’t imagine what he must have thought. Vaguely, you remembered him holding you to his chest as he rode through the rainstorm. The rainstorm that very likely led to the severity of your injury.

Even as a novice, just enrolled at the academy so many years ago, you’d never gotten hurt quite like you just had. First, it was Marianne and Leonie backing you up, sniping from behind and healing your wounds before they could get worse.  
And then, you had Ferdinand.

Ferdinand had taken a shine to you, for reasons he refused to elaborate on, and made it his mission to be your shield. He had vowed that to you on the night of the ball, high atop the Goddess Tower. It almost seemed like a joke, but the sincerity in his eyes kept you from laughing.  
Oh how glad you were that you hadn’t laughed. He held true to his promise. Every fired arrow, every swinging axe, every blade at your throat, he always knocked them away.  
You knew the fact he’d missed was eating away at him.

“This isn’t your fault.” You reminded him, sternly.  
“Is it not? I vowed…” His voice caught in his throat. “I am your _shield_.” He insisted. Whether it was for your benefit or his own, you couldn’t say.  
You knew if anyone else heard, they would laugh at what you were about to say. But Ferdinand clearly needed more than the simple assurances you had offered.  
“Every shield needs a sword. Isn’t that what I am?”

The first of his tears began to fall. You untangled one of your hands to begin wiping them away. You could almost hear your heart breaking.  
He leaned forward, resting his head in your shoulder. Careful not to repeat his mistakes, he wrapped his arms around your torso, twisting his fingers in the fabric of your shirt.  
“You stupid, wonderful man…” His voice was muffled by your shoulder.

Despite the sharp pain it caused, you couldn’t help but laugh. You stroked the nape of his neck, holding him close with your other arm. His body shook with silent sobs.  
Ferdinand only allowed himself a moment before meeting your eyes again, eyes determined. The strongest expression you’d scene thus far, other than guilt that nearly crushed you.

“Promise me you will not repeat such reckless actions again. When I left the Empire, I worried that everything would soon be taken from me. I thought I could handle that, until I realized ‘everything’ included, no, was you.”   
The passion in his voice was nearly enough to make you join him in tears. Instead, you nodded, making sure his eyes met yours.  
“I promise.” 

Finally, Ferdinand gave you a sincere smile, shining and utterly heart-stopping. Yet tears still flowed down his cheeks. It seemed that you had opened gates he’d sealed shut for some time.  
“You always _do_ have a way of lifting my spirits. When did you get so good at that?” His voice still shook, but had regained some of its strength.  
You shrugged, flashing a mischievous grin. “When you told me you loved me.”  
His face softened. He leaned in close to you, close enough you could track the rise and fall of his chest.  
“I love you.” his words were a murmur, almost close enough to touch your lips with his own.

Even being so used to him, he still had ways of making your heart beat out of your chest. Kissing you was easily the best.


End file.
